3/3/1927 Nicolas Freeling born

March 3, 1927.  Nicolas Freeling was born on this date in London.  He created an Amsterdam police detective named Van Der Valk but finally got sick of him and killed him.  Unlike Holmes, Van Der Valk agreed to stay dead.  He then created a French cop, Henri Castang.

His novel The King of the Rainy Country won the Edgar for Best Mystery in 1967.